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Vitoria-Gasteiz is a city of more than 200,000 inhabitants, which might be affected by more severe climatic conditions. For this reason, it is extremely important to create green areas that can reduce the heatwaves impacts and heat island effect typical of urban areas. Green areas will also promote the conservation, connectivity and improvement of biodiversity, relevant for both mitigation and adaptation to climate change.The Green Urban Infrastructure Strategy was launched by the City Council of Vitoria-Gasteiz in 2012 and has also implied the “Roots of Tomorrow” project, which is still on-going. The strategy aims to explore the usefulness of different green urban infrastructure solutions to address diverse urban challenges such as improving biodiversity, mitigating climate change and promoting climate change adaptation in the city. It also involves the study of urban ecosystem services, the concept of multi-functionality of green urban infrastructure and its associated benefits. Based on this general aim, the Vitoria-Gasteiz Green Urban Infrastructure Strategy pursues the following specific objectives:<ul><li>Improve the biodiversity in the city, increasing the spatial and functional connectivity between the urban and periurban green areas.</li><li>Increase the services provided by the urban ecosystems, strengthening natural processes.</li><li>Integrate ecological and hydrological processes and flows in urban planning.</li><li>Reduce the urban heat island effect, reducing climate change impact and improving adaptation in the city.</li><li>Promote the public use of green spaces, increase leisure and recreational opportunities, increase accessibility and field-city connections, preserve cultural heritage and traditional landscapes and extend the sense of identity and belonging.</li><li>Create an urban environment that favors the health, well-being and the general habitability of the city.</li><li>Raise awareness on the relationship between nature-biodiversity and society and, in particular, on goods and services provided by ecosystems, including their economic valuation.</li><li>Contribute to economic development through job creation.</li></ul>
The involvement of citizens and local private sector stakeholders have been considered to be a success factor, as they have helped to create a consensus on the needs as well as the benefits of the implementation of the Green Urban Infrastructure Strategy.The overall strategy provides an overarching frame for the design and implementation of other specific interventions, that therefore can contribute to the same goals. As planned interventions have multi-objectives, they produce co-benefits beyond climate change adaptation.Interventions tested in Lakuabizkarra neighborhood has enabled assessing the performance of different modalities of actions and exporting most suitable approaches to other neighborhoods.
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Financial aspects
The budget allocated for the refurbishment of Gasteiz Avenue and the construction of the green facade in the Congress Palace Europa amounted to 10 million Euros. The investment made for Green Ring project reached 2 million Euros over the four years of implementation. The investment made for Lakuabizkarra area reached 415.000 Euros.
Others
A participation process was carried out during the design phase of the strategy, as well as during its implementation.
Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain